Over the past few days, Warriors forward Kevin Durant and Fox Sports pundit Chris Broussard have engaged in a very public war of words. This started Monday on Broussard’s radio show, where he talked about how the Warriors winning the NBA championship would be Durant’s worst nightmare, and pondering if his two rings with the Warriors would be diminished if the team win a fifth title in six seasons with Durant injured.
That take doesn’t make much sense, but this is sports talk radio, and sports talk radio is filled with moronic people spouting off moronic takes for moronic listeners. Durant, who could’ve just let this go and let it remain a non-story, responded by saying Broussard’s take was an exaggeration. Durant was correct, but he essentially emptied out a gas can onto the fire and now this lame beef has dragged on all week.
The latest chapter in this saga occurred when Broussard took this Durant thing to Undisputed and made a point that he and Durant text each other for “two, three hours straight” and that Durant has gone at him harder privately than what he has said publicly.
"KD and I have a love-hate relationship. We've texted for 2, 3 hours straight about life, basketball, media, faith. … KD has gone at me much harder privately. We make a living critiquing athletes. It would be hypocritical of us to not be able to take it." — Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/tIMTgidgK4
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 22, 2019
Durant responded within an hour to point out that Broussard doesn’t have Durant’s number and thus, can’t even text him.
Cap. Cap. Cap cap cap….u don’t have my number mannnnn https://t.co/uJhQjR74Zr
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 22, 2019
Maybe we’re all being tortured by someone or something that hates everyone, or life in general, but Broussard came back at Durant by claiming they really have talked via social media DMs, which he considered the same as texting.
IG DM, Twitter DM, text – it’s all the same thing nowadays, dude. Don’t act like I’m lying. https://t.co/qynAittN8V
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) May 22, 2019
Broussard took it one step further over 12 hours by posting a video, fully explaining what he meant and reiterating that he has privately talked to Durant. Even though many want him to reveal what was said in these conversations, Broussard said he wouldn’t reveal what was said “out of respect” to Durant, since those conversations were private.
On @kdtrey5 situation:
In the past year, I have 60+ IG & Tw DMs from KD, mostly from 3 convos initiated by him spanning 5+ hrs each.
I won’t expose them out of respect 4 KD & others I text with.
I will continue to love, respect & pray for KD – & objectively analyze his game. pic.twitter.com/PBJwG67YKa
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) May 23, 2019
I don’t really care if they did or didn’t privately talk, but this entire thing was stupid from the start.
Broussard felt the need to defend himself because Durant questioned his credibility. Broussard is well within his right to do that, but given his history with anonymous sources, he’s not going to be getting the benefit of the doubt from many people out there.
As for Durant, it’s no secret that he dislikes the media. But why is he getting so bent out of shape about something that, of all people, Chris Broussard said? He’s not a well-respected NBA authority. He doesn’t work for an NBA rightsholder. Durant needs to stop trying to control the message trotted out by those outside of his circle and realize that picking fights over the most mundane matters is only going to make him look worse in the short and long run.
